I was sitting around with some buddies last night, and we were burning Cd’s of some random songs. And while I was perusing through my collection of actual Cd’s, I stumbled upon a burned copy of the compilation called Monster Ballads.
Now I am almost positive that most of you have heard some sort of advertisement for these kick-ass Cd’s. They usually come on TV in infomercial form and they are awesome. So after rocking out to a few of them last night, I decided to make an official list of my top 5 Monster Ballads of all time. Now I understand that I am not old enough to have been in my adolescent years when these classic songs came out, but for some reason I still listened to them while I was in my youth. So just cut me some slack, alright?
5. Can’t Fight This Feeling — REO Speedwagon
Here is the ultimate tribute song to the dreaded “friend zone.” Guys you know what I’m talkin about. However, this song is actually somewhat incomplete because we never find out what happens to the dude who is professing his love to his so called long time “friend.” We don’t know if he gets the girl and they live happily ever after with lots and lots of babies, or if the friendship is ruined forever. Uhhhhhhhh for the record, the friendship usually gets ruined forever. But this song at least gives hope to all of those guys who dream about one day not being “just a good friend” or “one of my best friends.” I think we’ve heard all the lines, right guys?
4. When I’m With You — Sheriff
There isn’t too much to say about this song. All of these ballads seem to have the same elements to them. They also have pretty much the same type of lyrics too. But this song is above the rest and resting at #4 because it was featured in the movie Joe Dirt. It kicks into high gear in the movie at the part where Brandy is riding up to the boys on her horse. It’s simply the greatest part of the movie. So that is why the Sheriff classic sits at #4 on my list. Good memories.
3. When I See You Smile — Bad English
This song has special meaning to me. If you kept track of the number of times I have listened to each of these ballads over the years, this song would be at the top of the list. Everything else would be a distant second. This song was actually “the song” for a buddy of mine and his girl back in the day, so needless to say I heard it a lot that summer. Come to think of it, I lived with him that entire summer. That should give you a better idea of how much I heard it. Part of the classic-ness of this song, is how simple the message is. There is no tricky poetic lines to sort through. There are no ulterior motives with this songs. It’s just perfect. It’s surely going to make a girl smile when she hears this song.
2. More Than Words — Extreme
Oddly enough, this is probably the least “extreme” song of the Top 5. This is the song that every dude has tried to learn to play on the guitar ever since the song came out. Every man wants to be able to sit down and bust this out with little effort. It’s like the first song we’ll try to learn when we pick up a guitar. I know, cuz that was what I did. I am still working it out actually, and may never quite learn it. But still, I imagine guys will be trying to play this one for their special girl for a long long time to come. As opposed to some of the other songs on this list, this one is very soft and mellow, so it’s got that going for it. If your lady isn’t in the mood for rockin drum solos and blaring guitar riffs, this is the song for you. This song is also most likely the first song people think of when you mention rock ballads.
1. More Than Words Can Say — Alias
For some strange reason, I cant find this song to buy on CD or I-Tunes anymore. Weird. You would think since it is the number one rock ballad in all the land, that it would be widely available. But to the contrary, the rarity of it adds to it’s position of being number one. Every girl loves to hear that she is needed by her man. This tune puts those words in song form so that guys don’t always have to say it. You cannot beat convenience like that.
So there you have them. The top five monster ballads in all the land. Feel free to comment on any songs you would like to add to the list. See you all next time, I am going to bed.
Riding off the coattails of Tim Ferriss’s latest blog post, I decided to reveal two books that surface when my successful friends and I discuss networking principles.
The more I get to live life, the coined saying, “It’s not WHAT you know… but WHO you know” rings truer every time I hear it.
How To Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie hits the mark with this 15-million bestseller from 1937. How To Win Friends unloads how to be personable, relatable, and a people person - all essentials when networking. Carnegie gives real world examples (even if he is talking about Theodore Roosevelt), with relevant principles which still echo timelessly today.
Never Eat Alone
Author Keith Ferrazzi unveiled this gem in 2003. Ferrazzi’s 31 concise chapters each focus on a specific technique or concept, from “Managing the Gatekeeper” or “Warming the Cold Call” through to following up, “pinging” and defining oneself to the point where one’s communication is “the e-mail you always read because of who it’s from.” In addition to variations on the theme of hard work, Ferrazzi offers counterintuitive perspectives that ring true: “vulnerability… is one of the most underappreciated assets in business today”; “too many people confuse secrecy with importance.” This book was recommended by an entrepreneur friend of mine that said, “Donovan, if you want to get better at networking, get Never Eat Alone.” I did.
Notice the realization of the crowd when the ball is in the air, and then the tsunami of camera shots!
These people were sitting in the section where Barry’s record-breaking homer landed. It was one of the greatest moments in sports history. Well, except for the whole “the- record- is- meaningless- because- Barry- Bonds- took- cattle- steroids- to- help- him- break- the- record” thing. Oh well, only people in San Francisco like him anyway, and that’s kind of funny.
Oh, congratulations on getting the ball Matt Murphy, now you’ll have to pay the tax man. Some of the comments I’ve read on the ball tax page: (ha ha)
Would it be wrong for him to heave the thing through an IRS window somewhere?
-Vanmind
Here’s my argument: when he caught the ball, it did not have value, because Bonds had not yet achieved his home run. After he owned it for a few seconds, Bonds hit home plate, so the value of the ball rose from a few dollars to $600K. Hence he should pay income tax only on the value it had when he caught it, and capital gains on the subsequent appreciation only when he sells it.
-Ignatius Gorgonzola
Yancey, perfect suggestion. Let the world quake with dismay at the destruction of this hallowed artifact… That would make a story of unparalleled awesomeness… Some people might even direct their rage at the IRS instead of the dude… Then of course a couple years later he can just sell the authentic, undamaged ball on the black market tax free. (we didn’t honestly think he’d wreck the real one, did we?)
-Jean Paul
He should give the ball away to someone who then gives the ball away, and so on. Since each gift is taxable, the IRS could eventually collect the national debt off this one ball.
-Steve
I’ve been using this system for awhile now, I use it on everything, and it works. It’s way better than getting reward points and paying annual fees on credit cards.
Most people already have a PayPal account, if you do, skip to the next step. If you’re living in the dark ages, visit PayPal’s and click the “sign up” text link at the top of the page to join.
2. Connect Your PayPal account to your Bank Account
To be eligible to receive 1% cash back, you need to have money in your PayPal account. PayPal acts like a checking account, not a credit card, so you need to have money in the account for the purchases you make. Adding you bank account is very simple - follow the instructions - and deposit money.
3. Apply For A PayPal Debit Card
This is where the magic happens. All purchases made on the PayPal Debit Card is eligible for an instant 1% cash back. The beauty about the PayPal Debit Card is that, unlike a bank account, it runs on the Mastercard network and thus you can use it at 99% of all point of sales.
Start Getting 1% Cash Back
Starting using the system instead of it using you!
UPDATE 1:
It was awhile since I got PayPal debit card so you *might* have to sign up or apply for a business account. No worries, any one can join! I belong as a Premier BusinessCard Holder. It’s Free! ;)
Two months ago, I finished a book called “The 4-Hour Workweek“. It’s written by Tim Ferriss, a 28 year-old entrepreneur who owns BrainQuicken, a online sport nutrition supplement company. To add to his credentials Tim Ferriss has also raced motorcycles in Europe, skis in the Andes, scuba dives in Panama, and holds a world-record in tango. Is Tim Ferriss a fraud?
“The 4-Hour Workweek” is so more than just a entrepreneurial memoir however. The basic goal of “The 4-Hour Workweek” is to help you live a life where you aren’t restricted by income, location, employment, and information overload.
Tim Ferriss details the specific how-to’s among other useful strategies like: working remotely from your current office job, using the Google Adwords as an marketing research tool, finding and contacting a mentor, outsourcing your mundane tasks (and your online dating), and living in other countries for dimes on the dollar.
I enjoyed this book because I’m an entrepreneur and love traveling. The idea of having more freedom with less work, defintely appealed to me. “The 4-Hour Workweek” is not applicable to all people however. Some people don’t have the motivation, or the inclination to do everything Timothy expects to get the results you need to be able to live his life. BUT… there are many principles like selective personal information intake that could be well suited for MOST people. Timothy himself makes known in his many interviews that, although some principles are for a particular type of person seeking a particular type of lifestyle, not all people may want it or be willing to achieve it through his methods.
This is how Tim breaks down his book….
The Deal
Tim Ferriss breaks down his approach to living this 4-Hour Workweek with DEAL.
D - D is for Definition
Definition, as Tim describes, helps you get over your fears, limiting beliefs, society’s expectations, and really get down to the bottom of what you want out of life. Some might call this the self-help part of the book. Tim breaks down even the most extravagant example of one man’s quest for owning an Ashton Martin, possible with a $1400 a month lease. Definition is about goal setting, and Ferriss gives various examples to back up his claims that living a life of luxury is only limited by your expectations.
E - E is for Elimination
Elimination, is Tim’s approach to time management and selective ignorance. Tim outlines his email and phone rules which save him countless hours. Tim also explains the 80/20 rule in which everything that causes 80% of the solutions/problems come from 20% of your habits/customers/influences. The guideline here is to taken in less, and focus on what really matters: your goals.
A - A is for Automation
Automation is to create a scalable income. Tim discovered with BrainQuicken, the online sport nutritional company, that his time was getting sucked up into it. Instead of spending less time, post-Fortune 500, he was spending even more. He implemented rules and strategies to scale his company efficiently going forward. A scalable company is one that operationally remains the same if 1 order came in, as 1000. Think online, think outsourcing.
L - L is for Liberation
My favorite part of this book was liberation. When you’ve made extra time, you need something to fill it. Your life is now free to do the things you want to do - but what are they? Tim outlines options, and unloads a mass amount of techniques for world travel, eating, and adventure.
Rating: 5-star
The 4-Hour Workweek Summary
The “The 4-Hour Workweek” is a must-read, even if you don’t follow all the methods and techniques Tim talks about, you can still use it to open your eyes to your potential personally and professionally, by cutting down on useless activity and prioritizing your goals.
Have you ever met a charismatic person that just seems to draw people into their world? You see them do it over, and over again. These people are social experts who have naturally or purposely become this way. I’ll show you how they do it and why you’re drawn in.
Everyone has seen this person, and we all love getting to see a glimpse into their world. We all wonder… what does this person have that draws me like an magnet towards them?
Discover how someone with charisma does it…
What Is A Social Magnet’s Character?
They project an aura most of the time. They have a particular charisma which reverberates the phrase “I need to know this person” in your mind.
They don’t have to be wealthy, although some are.
They don’t have to be overly good looking, although some are.
They don’t have to be well-travelled, well-read, or well-endowed, although some are.
They don’t have to be humorous, but some are.
What Draws You To A Social Magnet
What is it that draws us to them? It’s the same feeling you get when you meet that beautiful woman that spikes a gut level interest in you. You really want to know them - and you don’t know why.
I think it can be nailed in one word: value.
These people, no matter their background, have value to you personally.
This value is a broad concept, so let me break it down.
Value can be any number of things that you personally need.
Here are a few “values” that people can seek in others:
Fun
Wealth
Security
Social status
Wisdom
Maturity (Decision-Making)
Discipline
Beauty
Friendship
Normally, someone that can be labeled a social magnet has three or four of these qualities.
The reason these people are drawing people into their world, is because they have a strong handle on some of these qualities. Those who are seeking these values, often subconsciously, feel a void being filled by being around these people.
Let’s break the principle down in a real life situation:
I was talking to a 32-year-old businessman, the conversation was running at a normal pace, and I was having wandering thoughts. Then the businessman said, “I just arrived back from the south of Brazil where I’ve been surfing for the last 3 months.” Now, all of a sudden I had a spike in interest. Who I thought was a boring businessman, quickly became a hub of wisdom and mentor of fun, which in turn made me respect him. He now had value for me, and I found him a much more interesting person. This happened near instantly, and when it happens you can see the social value shifting right before you’re eyes… which is exciting.
Why do people that are positive seem to be repelled by people of negativity and depression?
They have NO value for them.
Like I mentioned earlier, these social magnets exude that they can offer you something, and you respond instantly.
It’s more than wealth, and beauty that social magnet’s can offer. They can offer a release of stress through their fun loving attitude, or a life-saving breath of genuineness from the tsunami of societal superficialness. These people most often have a higher social status than yourself, they know more people, in larger social circles and you wouldn’t mind a little social boost yourself.
How You Can Become Social Magnet
The key to becoming a social magnet and connecting with others is to provide something of value. Whether it be wealth, a sense of fun, wisdom or maturity, as you combine values and as you work on your own qualities, you’ll start to notice - coupled with your positive attitude - that people will be calling you to find out what the Friday night event will be, or asking you business advice. Don’t let them down. Your value is a virus… and you’ll spread around.
Your metabolism (pronounced: muh-tah-buh-lih-zum) is a group of chemical reactions within your body which converts food into fuel. Your metabolism is a complicated process, and people usually think of it in simple terms: weight. When your metabolism is faster, calories which your body intakes are converted into fuel that it can use - quicker. These reactions have a bearing on your weight because the higher your metabolic rate is, the more fuel it requires. If you intake less while your metabolic rate is high, your body uses it’s stored fuel - fat.
Here is my basic, three-step plan that I’ve used to boost my metabolism:
Hitting Up The Gym
A combined weight training with cardio workout is the main factor for boosting your metabolism and inducing weight loss. No surprises here. What might be surprising, however, is that longer with less is better than shorter with more. By increasing your cardio workout time with less intensity, the more fat you’ll burn and the faster your metabolism will be. Combine a steady 40 minute cardio workout with 20 minutes of weight training, and you’ve got yourself a excellent metabolism boosting workout. You can always switch the times up, but the golden rule of any workout is to keep it around 60 minutes, unless your training for an action role.
Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep for optimal rest. Some texts say nine hours is the perfect amount for slowing the aging process, for recuperation from stress and for complete rejuvenation. Adequate and effective sleep is crucial to health. This is because hormones, like melatonin and growth hormone, which have beneficial effects on our body tissues, healing mechanisms and metabolism are released during sleep.
Not sleeping enough or not sleeping in complete darkness will decrease our production of melatonin, while insomnia, sleep apnea or just not making sleep a priority will result in decreased levels of growth hormone. Decreased amounts of growth hormone have also been found in individuals with poor quality sleep or insufficient amounts of deep sleep.
Along with low levels of melatonin and growth hormone, stress hormone levels—particularly cortisol—increase. Cortisol results in increased appetite despite ample food intake, typical of people with sleep deprivation.
The increased fat storage also found with sleep deprivation seems to be a result of an impaired ability to properly metabolize carbohydrates which leads to high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels then lead to increased levels of insulin, our body’s signal to store unused energy as fat. The end result is weight gain or an inability to lose weight easily.
I have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour. I think around 10-11pm is a decent hour to be getting to bed. I usually go to bed around 1-2am, however, I notice a huge difference in my energy levels when I go to bed early then get up earlier, around 7am-8am, or even earlier if I can muster it. The trick here is to get a good amount of sleep before 12 midnight than after it.
Controlling Your Meals
It’s been proven that eating less more often is a sure way to boost your metabolic rate. Try breaking a typical meal down in half, and eating half now, and the remaining half 2 hours later. Try changing what you eat also. If you know you’ve got a no-so healthy diet, try eating better foods for a few meals and letting your body adjust to the new eating habits before you give it up. I’ve noticed that as I’ve changed my meals around, I’ve had massive food cravings that pass in a few days. There’s a golden rule to remember, when you crave carbs you’re either eating TOO MANY, or TOO FEW. Try to balance out your carbohydrate intake to vegetables, and eat less high density potatoes (french fries, mashed potatoes) If you can’t kick the habit, just regulate yourself to eat LESS of them.
By following these three important metabolic boosting practices, you’ll be burning excess weight and feeling phenomenal in no time.
I had an interesting thought while up here in Portland. Do I need to pay for car insurance?
At the Avis counter at the Portland Airport, the rental agent was upselling me on CDW. It got me thinking, “Do I really need rental insurance?” I had to research this further…
This may not be known to many people who travel frequently, that they have a few other options.
Buying CDW may make sense for you, or it may not. But the time to shop for it is long before you arrive at the counter.
Most drivers are adequately covered for the average rental (assuming it’s for leisure and not a business trip). To assess your own status, here’s a rundown of the steps you should take:
Check your personal auto policy.
If you own a car, look at your automobile insurance policy. The same coverage and deductibles you carry on your car will apply — in many cases — to a vehicle you rent. But be careful: If your policy provides less coverage than the value of the rental (your ‘88 Pontiac), you may need to calculate the value of the loss of a brand-new vehicle and decide if you need to supplement it. For example, many owners of older cars don’t always carry comprehensive coverage for accidents, fire and theft.
Check your coverage by your charge card company.
This can be tricky because not only does coverage vary from card to card, but it can widely vary based on the bank or credit company that issued the card as well. And it’s very important that you inquire about exclusions because some exotic or expensive vehicles — such as sports cars, SUVs, motor homes and motorcycles — may not be covered. Vehicles rented outside the U.S. may not be covered.
I book all my flights, rentals and accommodations on my American Express card (non-business account), which if I read the conditions correctly, covers me with certain automobile insurance benefits, and other travel coverages.
Do you want to chance it?
I’ve been renting cars since I was 21, and I’ve never been in an accident. I’m really confident in my driving abilities, because I anticipate and response accordingly to drivers on the roads. I usually chance it without car rental insurance. Having said that, I do attribute some degree of bad luck when getting in an accident, and if that happens, I should be covered by my auto policy and American Express card.
A great way to dramatically increase your vocabulary and the charisma of your conversation is to pick one of your commonly used words and eliminate it.
“Like” is my word.
I say “Like” far too much - not in a girlie way as seen in the teen movie Clueless, but I’ve noticed that I’m always referencing when I have nothing else to say. I got rid of “Ummm” a few years ago and I’ve replaced it with “Like”. I’d suggest silence over this and other fluff words.
Other words might include:
dude (Big Lebowski exceptions)
man
ummm
yeah
cool
What is a fluff word you could eliminate that would force your brain to think?
. It’s written by Tim Ferriss, a 28 year-old entrepreneur who owns BrainQuicken, a online sport nutrition supplement company. To add to his credentials Tim Ferriss has also raced motorcycles in Europe, skis in the Andes, scuba dives in Panama, and holds a world-record in tango. Is Tim Ferriss a fraud?
